₹2 crore bribery allegation against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar

According to a report by Sandesh (Desh), Kerala Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala has ordered a preliminary inquiry into allegations of demanding a bribe against Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar. This entire matter is linked to the road construction work carried out under the nearly two-decade-old 'Kerala State Transport Project' (KSTP).

This allegation has been made by Sajan, a resident of Chadayamangalam in Kollam district and a former contractor. In a complaint submitted to the Director of the 'Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau' (VACB), he stated that when Gyanesh Kumar was serving as the Secretary of the state's Public Works Department (PWD), he demanded a bribe of ₹2 crore in exchange for approving the payments for the construction work.

According to the complainant, despite the completion of the road construction work under the KSTP, the amount due to the concerned company was withheld. Although bills amounting to approximately ₹17 crore were approved by the engineers, cheques for the payment were not issued. In his complaint, Sajan has also mentioned the Malaysian company 'PATI-BEL' and its contractors. Taking this serious complaint into account, directives have been issued to the Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau to investigate the matter.